Xandru Grech is one of the finest middle-distance runners Malta has ever produced as underlined by the national records he set in 1995 over the 800m and 1,500m distances. He now coaches athletics to young athletes which keeps his passion for running alive.
- You’re known for being a TV personality as well as for your
participation in various sports. What is the achievement you’re
the most proud of in this field?
I guess the one I am most proud of must be in 1995, when I won
two individual medals in the small nations games in the 800m
and 1500m. It’s the only time a Maltese athlete won two individual
medals in middle distance in the history of these games. I also
broke my national records in both races. From an emotional
perspective however, I would say that the bronze I won in 1999
changed my life. I was anorexic and stopped believing in myself…
that bronze instils peace of mind till this very day. - When and where did you start running? How old were you?
I started competing in races at the age of 9. But I was always a
runner. My mother used to tell me that I never walked. According to
her, I got up, wobbled, balanced myself and… ran. - Describe your ideal race.
In my eyes, an ideal race is one where the world freezes and
continues to move only in slow motion. Here, sounds, smells and all
the other senses are heightened. In order to be in the perfect zone
of pushing your limits 100%, your mind, body and soul must be in
sync, all aligned. And before you know it, the race is over and you
have no idea what you even placed. But there is no one in front of
you. As soon as you cross that finish line, it all comes rushing back
to you; the perfect technique, the change of pace, the memory of
your mind telling your body to push more, constantly defying and
over-powering the urge to stop. - As an ex-athlete, do you miss the thrill of racing?
I miss it daily. When you reach those extremities of the pure
adrenaline rush, of pushing your body beyond its limits, of over
achieving and winning, it’s hard to stop and proceed to live a normal
life. I miss those natural highs. It’s difficult to describe – it’s like
wearing a superhero outfit and suddenly having the ability to run
super fast, faster than most. Then one fine day, you place the suit
in a wardrobe and are forced to become a mere mortal, never to
experience that speed and thrill again. - You run two gyms called Move Pro at Niume in Imriehel and
another called Move Smart in Kalkara. How do you differentiate
between the two?
Move Pro is a personalised centre, with innovative 30-minute long,
effective sessions. Move Smart, located at Smart City has three
areas, on the other hand: a 35-minute long fat burning circuit, a
gym and a functional area. Move Pro can get the best results with
just 2 x 30-minute sessions per week. Move Smart also has lots
of advantages: great prices, the Milon strength endurance circuit,
a functional zone, free parking and anti-bacterial spray. It’s also
located in a very beautiful area. - Malta hosted several world leading triathletes during the
Super League Triathlon in October. How were you involved?
I was contacted by Super League to see if I would be ready to meet
up with them, determine whether Malta would be a good host
location and to see if I could help in that regard. This was over a year
ago, and last weekend we hosted the mega international event,
with the largest amount of Olympian’s in one race. 26 foreign
channels and millions all over the world watched Malta, in all its
beauty. You can find the race on Super League Triathlon Malta. - What is your main challenge right now?
I work with the Iniala group and we have many interesting projects
at the moment, including luxury apartments and offices, art
galleries, gastronomy fairs, Inspirasia foundation and our new
luxury boutique hotel and restaurant. I am also hoping to bring
super league over to Malta once again, as a coach for my athletes to
perform in the small nations games and other races.
